


soft spot

by brandywine421



Series: soft [4]
Category: Daredevil (TV), The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-08-20 12:53:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16556117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: "Full stop."  Claire holds up both hands to stop Matt's soft voice.  "You're in therapy?""Once a month now.  Started at three times a week but I hated it enough to make an effort," Matt replies."How the hell did that happen?  Who do I owe because I placed a lot of bets that you'd never - " She cannot believe that Matt Murdock went to therapy voluntarily.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I thought it was over, too but this happened.

  
"Get up. Seriously, you are not going to make me late," Jessica demands and Claire has no idea how the woman 1) found out she was back in town or 2) got into her fucking apartment.

"The hell, Jessica?" Claire groans.

"Wednesdays at three, it's on your permanent schedule."

"I don't have a schedule, my new job doesn't start until next week."

"It's on the schedule, Marci's very efficient so get up."

She doesn't know if she can count Jessica as a friend but the name drop at least pings her curiosity. "Who's Marci?"

"You haven't RSVP'd the wedding but that's not on my list today, so get up."

 

* * *

 

"I know it's been a while, but, you look good, Jess," Claire says when she's been gifted with a large cup of coffee and a scone from one of the many restaurants she missed on her desperation retreat out of state.

"Today," Jess quantifies. "Probably not tomorrow, but I'm good today. Six months sober and going on five months with no arrests, but today's all right."

 _Shit_. "Damn, was I gone that long?"

Jessica nods solemnly. "Way too long. Here we are, looks like they started without us." She pushes open the door to a salon, ignoring the closed sign and Claire follows her inside.

Matt Murdock tilts his head toward them without taking his hands from the skinny man working on his cuticles. "Claire?"

"Jesus Christ," she manages before Jessica elbows her in the side.

"Manicures every Wednesday at three, it's on the schedule," Jessica insists and steers her to the chair beside Matt.

"Please give our card to all your friends," the man fixing the Matt's nails beams at her.

"What if I want a pedicure?" Claire asks blankly.

"Then sit over there," Matt smiles, nodding to the back where Jessica's already settling in.

" _He_ doesn't like people touching his feet because he has a phobia about toes," the manicurist says. "Great lawyer, but really weird dude."

"Sounds about right," she agrees.

"Sorry for the ambush, but I wanted to say hello in person. Hi," Matt says.

"Really weird dude," the manicurist repeats when Claire laughs.

 

* * *

 

"Full stop." Claire holds up both hands to stop Matt's soft voice. "You're in therapy?"

"Once a month now. Started at three times a week but I hated it enough to make an effort," Matt replies.

"How the hell did that happen? Who do I owe because I placed a lot of bets that you'd never - " She cannot believe that Matt Murdock went to therapy voluntarily.

"Foggy and Karen. I mean, Castle found the shrink for us so I knew I could trust her with the whole," he waves his hand over his face to mimic a mask. "But I didn't come out of Midland Circle the same - I wasn't... _myself_ for a while. Fisk - "

She reaches out and takes his hand, still baby soft from his manicure. "Yeah, I saw all that. Glad I missed it in person."

"I'm a shitty friend but I'm trying to do better. I made friends with Jessica all by myself," Matt says, feigning pride. "So I'm giving you my business card. If you want to hang out with Matt, please call at will, but if you need the other guy, Foggy and Karen are first contact."

Now she knows she's in an alternate universe. "Seriously?"

"If it's something big, yeah," Matt says, ducking his head. "I mean, if you're getting mugged or it's an emergency, call me first but - "

She squeezes his hand. "I'm so proud of you, Matt."

"Expectations are bad for me so don't get too excited," Matt smiles. "You're working over at Danny's clinic, right?"

"Colleen's clinic, but yeah," Claire corrects.

"I'm sure I'll see you around then. Some of us get to use the special entrance," Matt says. "It'll be nice to have a familiar face when I need actual medical care."

"And Wednesday mani-pedi's?" she smiles.

"Of course - on the condition you never invite Foggy and Karen. They always try to steal my time with non-work friends," he warns.

 

* * *

 

"It's kind of like a cult," Colleen says when Claire finally gets around to asking her what the hell she knows about Matt's allegedly stable lifestyle.

She laughs into her beer but Colleen looks completely serious.

"He can't go a whole day without telling someone where he is, he has to report any 'damages' to the Nelson guy like he's property or something and they keep track of what he eats and how much he weighs - and then they got Jessica in on it - " Colleen continues.

"That's not a cult, Colleen," Claire relaxes.

"It's been _months_ since the whole suicide watch and they still treat him like glass. Have you seen that guy fight?" Colleen asks.

She's stuck on the first part. "Matt's Catholic as hell, he wouldn't - "

"Sorry. I'm probably not supposed to know that but he told Danny before we broke up," she winces. "It's just weird that he's letting them keep him on a leash."

"It doesn't sound like a leash, more like a team," Claire replies. A _family_. "Is that why you're biting your nails and not getting free manicures?"

"He's _Danny's_ friend," Colleen slumps.

She orders another drink. "You do realize he's known you just as long as he's known Danny, right? And we both know that Danny's definition of 'friend' depends on how much help he needs at a given time. I doubt he's turned up for the manicures," Claire adds, admiring her perfectly clipped and curved nails. "Jessica turned up."

"For a manicure?" Colleen gasps.

"Pedicures, too. You're missing out. I heard a rumor they do hair if we give them a week's notice since he reserves the whole place for an hour on Wednesdays."

"Totally a cult," Colleen mutters.

 

* * *

 

"Oh, Pete's here. Didn't think he came out in public," Colleen says as she peers through the salon window the following week. Claire doesn't know him as 'Pete' since he looks like Frank Castle from here.

She's had a lot of trauma since the Punisher's raid on her hospital so he knows she'll get over it eventually but she wishes she had more of a warning for the possible interaction.

A preteen girl she doesn't recognize is getting her nails painted while she chats with the Punisher and Jessica both in the haircut chairs.

Matt's flipping through a binder of braille but he gives a genuine smile when she drags Colleen over. "Hey, glad you came."

"Finally, someone I can work with!" someone shouts from the back and Colleen's assailed by cosmetologists.

Claire blinks in the wake of Colleen's makeover ambush and turns to Matt. "I'm insulted."

"They're big fans of the Daughters of the Dragon," Matt shrugs. "Misty already has a stylist."

"Who's the kid?" she laughs, taking the seat beside him to wait her turn.

"Frank's got people, I don't ask questions unless I hear he lets someone other than Walter cut his hair," Matt shrugs and a guy across the room gives her a thumbs-up. "Deb already claimed your haircut, but she's not here today."

"Should I ask why you have a salon on retainer?" Claire asks.

"The owners are Foggy's clients," Matt replies.

She thinks it's probably a longer story than that and when she glances up, Walter's pointing at a glass display case that contains a shiny broken stiletto that looks to be in Walter's size. _'Perilous Parade 2017 Survivors'_ she can make out in block letters.

Matt twitches at her smile. "They won't tell me what's inside the little box," he mutters. "Jess did all the heavy lifting."

"It was a parade float stampede, be very glad you missed it," Jessica calls.

"You are obviously holding out on your best stories," Claire laughs.

"Gotta save something for dinner parties," he smiles.

 

* * *

 

She doesn't _hate_ her new job but the clinic is low-stress compared to her previous positions - she won't call it boring out loud. She should be happy with low-stress. Her nails and hair look fantastic and she hasn't gotten an emergency call from any friends in danger since she started giving out her new number.

She doesn't ask about Luke and nobody offers the information. She lives in Hell's Kitchen now, not Harlem. She doesn't bring it up. She's not curious.

She doesn't go to Luke's _just_ because she's bored. She doesn't tell her friends because she's hiding it from them, it _just_ doesn't come up. She _just_ ends up at his club with great hair and a new dress and gets into line.

She makes it three minutes twenty before she marks the third guy scoping her out with an earpiece in place. She's being watched and since she hasn't told anyone where she was headed - she knows it's not right.

 _Fuck_. She's nobody's damsel in distress and she's not stupid enough to ignore warning signs. She gets out of line pretending to check her phone and clocks one stranger with the earpiece that follows her as she dials and plasters a fake angry expression.

 _"Hey, Claire!"_ Foggy answers cheerily.

"Hey, so, off the record, Counselor, if I decided to go see my ex in Harlem, what would you advise?"

_"Oh, definitely call first - that's a whole can of worms that - wait. You're already there, aren't you?"_

"Yeah. Who's watching me?"

_"Luke, kind of, runs Harlem now so it's probably his guys. Let me text him and he'll send someone down - "_

"Oh fuck that," Claire hisses. "Nobody thought to warn me?"

_"Um, well, it's not really my place as his lawyer and personal relationship lectures are off limits in Matt's new life plan. He probably thought Colleen or Jessica told you. Do you want me to send a taxi?"_

"I'll do it, I'm too humiliated to face anyone I know - " she sighs.

_"According to Matt's city grid that I totally do **not** have on my wall, Misty's place is three blocks over and she should be home."_

She starts walking and when the guy starts to follow she turns and stares him down until he mutters into his hidden microphone and turns around.

"Thanks, can you, maybe..."

_"Texting while you walk, I'll stay on the line with you. I'm really sorry, I should have - "_

"Does he know I'm back?" Claire asks.

" _Yeah_ ,  _I mentioned it, he was surprised. He's only on my contact list, and Danny's - Matt and his friends stay out of his way."_

She spots the flash of Misty's metal arm in the streetlight down the street. "I'll get the scoop from Misty. Personal relationship lectures are really off limits?" Claire asks as her embarrassment shifts to righteous anger at Luke.

_"Oh yeah but Frank and Karen broke up weeks ago and she hasn't told Matty yet so we're pretty sure he's about to break that rule so we can change it. It's driving him nuts that she hasn't fessed up."_

Misty embraces her forcefully and snatches her phone. "She's not joining your cult, Asshole, fuck off."

"Hey," Claire laughs when she swipes end call and returns it to her.

"I told that blind asshole it would backfire if he didn't tell you about Luke," Misty sighs as she leads her toward her apartment. "You look great."

"You talk to Matt about me?" Claire asks, surprised that she talks to Matt and that Claire's a topic of conversation.

"He's got a crush," Misty shrugs.

Aw. "He got over that years ago, when he stopped wearing the black pajamas. Good times," Claire remembers.

Misty huffs out a cackles and holds the door to her building open. "We have a _lot_ to talk about but I'm under-dressed for all the drinks you're going to buy me tonight."

* * *

 

"Wait, so - how do we not know about this?" Colleen asks, failing at her task of 'getting them home sober' by buying the last two rounds.

"Seriously," Misty echoes.

She's not drunk enough to process the shit Luke's swimming in at the moment but she's sober enough to get the gist of the matter. Misty and Danny think they should let Luke have enough rope to hang himself or pull himself out.

" **Claire**. Did you or did you not have secret sexy relations with the Devil?" Colleen interrupts her thoughts.

"Oh. It was a long time ago," Claire replies. "And none of your business!"

"How long have you known him? Before Luke?" Misty asks, calculating.

"I can honestly say I've known Daredevil longer than anyone else. Longer than Matt Murdock," she smirks. "Found him in a dumpster and brought him home."

She pushes her empty beer aside. "Shit, even if Luke's a budding crime boss - he's still a better vigilante boyfriend than Matt would've been. Yeah, we had a fling that _maybe_ would have turned into a thing - but - hand to God - I didn't believe he'd live through the year the way he was going. I couldn't commit to that crazy bastard no matter how much - "

" _Pause_ , we weren't asking about feelings - there were feelings?" Misty cuts her off.

"He's great in bed, best Oral I've ever had and you can quote me on that," Claire says, snapping her mouth closed.

" _Feelings_ , Claire. You have _feelings_ ," Misty slurs, slumping against her as she climbs off the stool.

"Past tense, he's just a friend, he's still a hot mess," Claire protests. It's not weak.

"No, you're the ODB," Misty says, reverent.

"The ODB is down as precedent in the cult contract for why all vigilantes have to give their significant others updated emergency contact information," Colleen recites solemnly.

"Jesus, do I want to know what that means?" Claire asks.

"' _Original Daredevil Bae_ '," Misty answers.

Colleen snickers. "Danny's going to be devastated, he's been trying to tap that since we broke up but he'd never go after the ODB."

"This is why they don't talk about personal relationships - our lives do not revolve around who we're sleeping with now or may have slept with in the past," Claire groans. "We fail the Bechdel test tonight."

"You came out by yourself to try and show off to your ex, you brought this on yourself," Misty reminds her.  "And we're not in their cult, I need full information on everything."


	2. Chapter 2

  
She wakes up on Misty's couch with a headache and unwelcome guests. Luke's not a surprise - if what she remembers from last night is even a little true, he would have heard she was in Harlem. It does surprise her to spot Matt in his _zero protection_ black pajamas across the room having coffee with Misty.

"Welcome back," Luke says when she sits up to glare at him full on. The hangover's fierce enough to let her be mean. "You could have said hello last night and saved Murdock a trip."

"Come at me, bro," Matt responds, flipping him off until Misty patiently folds his middle finger down and pushes his fist to the table.

"I should have called first. Or asked questions instead of depending on my friends to be honest," she says.

"I didn't lie, I'm only here to remind snitches that you are not named anywhere in my alleged cult guidelines," Matt says, tipping his head at Misty. "And because Luke broke his word."

Luke scowls but doesn't deny it. Instead he crosses his arms and Matt responds to the Alpha posture and rears back in his seat until Misty pokes him.

"Claire, I'm sorry that my club's security staff made you feel unsafe. You're always welcome in Harlem and my club," Luke says stiffly. "Unlike what you've been told - it's much safer around here than when you left."

Matt cracks his knuckles loudly and Misty smacks his hand with her spoon.

"You should have called," Luke says.

"I'll remember that if I get the urge to see you again. I'm too angry right now," she replies. "Why are you here?"

Luke sighs. "Can we talk?"

"How many guys you got waiting outside for my answer?" she replies.

"Three," Matt answers and Luke's nostrils flare as he turns toward him angrily.

"Can you shut up?" Luke snaps.

Matt smirks and Misty rolls her eyes, sliding her hand up his thigh and kissing his cheek in a very un-platonic display. "Be nice."

"Yes, _dear_ ," he replies with a smug expression meant only for Luke.

Luke turns back to Claire and misses the switch as Misty removes her hand and Matt wipes her lipstick off his cheek in a practiced routine that she's going to investigate _thoroughly_ when Luke's out of their space.

"You should go. I'll call you if I have any questions," Claire says, forcing herself to her feet. "Or better, I'll call _Matt_ since I'm allowed to visit him without gang approval."

"It's not like that - " Luke protests but she opens the door and the two thugs outside snap to attention.

"Bye," Matt calls, playing with Misty's hair when Luke glares at him.

"You slam my door and you're going to pay for it," Misty warns and Luke storms out. Claire closes the door quietly before she exhales.

"The hell was all that?" Claire asks them.

"Turn off the swag," Misty swats at him, heading to the coffee pot for a refill.

"We're trying to remind him of his priorities," Matt says. "He thinks I'm sleeping with Jessica and Danny, too."

"So you're just playing games?" Claire demands.

"Everyone would prefer he snap out of this insanity before Misty has to arrest him for all the evidence we've got on his business," Matt replies. He points at the door. "Right now, he's more pissed off that I got into Harlem without any of his security catching me."

"His hatred for Murdock is one of the few things that can get a real reaction out of him lately," Misty echoes.

Claire steals Matt's coffee and Misty's seat. "So you're walking me home?"

"If you promise to hold my hand for maximum impact," Matt agrees.

 

* * *

 

"Cards out, this whole contract thing was just for Matt's benefit," Karen says when she shows up as courier with a folder. "We needed a way to get the concept of friendship through his fucked up head. The 'ODB' acronym was my idea."

 _Huh_. "Why?"

Karen shrugs. "I'm not an actual lawyer and Foggy was trying to come up with terminology on the fly. He couldn't say 'girlfriend' because there are some 'boyfriends' in Matt's little black book, and none of those were valid when he started Daredeviling. Elektra doesn't count because he wasn't _'in it to win it'_ yet, but you turned out to be the epic example for how _not_ to fuck it up."

"Explain," Claire demands as she reads the notarized contract.

Karen counts off with her fingers. "You knew his identity and the importance of keeping it secret, you knew who to call for emergencies, you knew his home address and you told him flat out when he was being an asshole. Significant Others all have the responsibility to tell the Vigilante when they're being an asshole."

"Wow," Claire whispers.

"Right. As his most recent ex-girlfriend, _still_ not counting Elektra, I could have used these rules in place," Karen says seriously. "Nobody was intended to see this but then Jessica decided to get sober and nosy and somehow everyone ended up reading it."

" _Wow_."

Karen laughs. "It's not going to last forever, I'm sure, but I promise it's not a cult thing. You taught Matt a lot even if it took a few years for him to actually learn it."

"I can't take any responsibility for this. He barely spoke to me after everything, even at Midland Circle - he didn't - "

Karen rolls her eyes. "He didn't talk to me after I dumped him either, he's very sensitive about rejection."

"Does he know you gave me this?" Claire asks, tucking the file away for private decryption later.

"Everyone has a copy, hell, Marci's trying to farm him out as a vigilante consultant at this point," Karen waves on her way out.

 

* * *

 

She doesn't expect Luke to call her but he does. Every three days on a different burner phone he calls to spill apologies and explanations but no actual details and no invitations for her to visit. He doesn't want her back as much as he wants her to understand.

She _wants_ to understand, too but God help her she _doesn't_. She listens and she _tries_ but every time he hangs up she feels another piece of what they had disappear.

But her nails look amazing and the patients at work actually get better and her friends call her for drinks and nachos instead of sutures.

She doesn't doubt her decision to come back to New York- apart from her original reason for it - but Hell's Kitchen starts to feels like the perfect bed for her Goldilocks.  And Matt's not the bear chasing her out of it this time, he's the one helping her settle in.

 

* * *

 

"Setback," Matt says darkly when she finds him waiting outside after her shift.

She immediately raises her hand to check the line of stitches on his neck. "You got another nurse?"

"Stopped by the church, Sister Maggie didn't think I should take the subway with an open wound."

"What kind of setback?" Claire asks, filing away the nun question for follow up.

"Lost ten pounds with my increased physical activity," he snaps angrily. "She can fuck off with her diet log, I'm done with all that."

Minefield activated. "Let's walk, _Grumpy_. So you're mad because she asked you monitor your calories?"

He narrows his mouth into a dangerous line. "She can fuck _off_. I don't need a nanny."

"Did she _say_ you needed a nanny?" Claire asks plainly.

"I want you to be on my side, not hers," Matt scowls.

"I am _always_ on your side, _Matthew_ , but as the official ODB, I require full information before making any suggestions," Claire says and he relaxes his jaw from ' _about to punch something_ ' to ' _petulant_ '. "Are you underweight?"

"As of today's appointment, yes," he sighs. "I've been at goal for three months but I've dealt with that issue and - "

"Which was?" she urges, turning the corner toward her building.

"I developed an ' _aversion to solid food due to personal trauma'_ but I'm over that now - we had steak, what, three days ago?" Matt mutters.

"And your physical activity's increased because you finished your PT, right?" Claire parses out when he nods. "What else? Have you started working out more or - "

"Of course," he says.

"So your shrink wants you to adjust your diet to match your increase in exercise."

"My shrink thinks I'm skipping meals on purpose to hurt myself," Matt replies flatly.

Claire frowns. She knows she missed a lot of Matt's 'recovery' but that seems like a strong statement. "Did she say that _exactly_?"

He doesn't answer and she squeezes his elbow. "No. She wants me to get a service animal to teach me that all creatures need regular scheduled food and rest," he spits out finally, politely holding the door open for her.

She stops and turns to take both Matt's hands. " _Seriously_. You're mad because your doctor told you to get a dog?"

Matt growls. "I've made it this long without needing some animal to help me cross the street - "

She kisses his cheek. "I'm completely on your side, Matt. Let's go upstairs so I can help you research cat supplies - my neighbor just had kittens and needs them out before the Super catches on."

"You're a traitor," he says, blinking behind his shades "A filthy cat-loving traitor."

He can tell if she lies so she doesn't bother denying it.

 

* * *

 

_"Don't fight dirty."_

_"What, scared I'm going to pull his hair? I don't have a glowing fist, I'm not going for a knockout."_  

Her alarms flare to top alert and she hops over the new cat without saying hello to see what the hell Jess and Matt are doing in his bedroom. "What's happening?"

Matt's decked out in his black _'I am the night_ ' outfit with ropes bound around one arm while Jessica works on the other.

"Luke and Matt decided to set up a dick-measuring contest at Danny's in an hour, no chicks allowed," Jessica answers in a flat tone.

"That's _not_ what this is about and that's _not_ what we said," Matt replies. "Hello, Claire. I fed the cat and I'll be back to feed it again." He holds out his roped hand and the kitten climbs his arm like a trained monkey to drape across his shoulders with a muted meow.

"If you're not going to fight then why is Jessica gearing you up like a warrior headed to battle?" Claire shakes off the image of the Devil and his witch cat familiar.  She has to take responsibility for encouraging that partnership.

"Luke's not my friend today," Matt says simply. "He's a Harlem gang leader that Daredevil needs to speak to."

"Unbreakable skin," Jessica states.

"I can break his arm if I get the right grip and twist - stop making me think I'm going to have to fight," Matt snaps at her.

"Matt," Claire sighs.

"Castle tracked a truckload of stolen evidence from the Fisk investigation to one of Luke's warehouses," Matt says and Jessica's fingers still on the ropes, surprised. "He could've killed a lot of people last night but he decided to call me first, out of professional courtesy."

"What kind of evidence?" Jessica asks while Claire tries to make sense of the volunteered info.

"Weapons and tech. Frank's guy does everything with video but I take his word that it wasn't leftover wedding decorations."

"Is Castle invited to this duel?" Claire asks when Jessica resumes her task and checks to make sure both sets of ropes are correct in a practiced routine.

"Yes. The misinterpreted misogyny of ' _no chicks allowed_ ' can be credited to him," Matt admits. "But that's not the intention - Danny's not even invited - we're using his place because Frank's guy can get into the CC feed outside and we're all going in unarmed. The three of us are going to discuss the warehouse and what needs to happen now."

"What's that?" Claire asks, absolutely sure she doesn't want to know the answer.

"Here it comes," Jessica groans.

Matt slides his mask down over his eyes. "I've confirmed the necessary details of my risk assessment per contractual mandate."

"Fuck your bullshit _contract_ right now, Matt - " Claire blurts out.

"You don't really want me to do that today. I was gone six months and Luke got you labeled a mob wife and Frank almost got Karen blown up by a suicide bomber - believe me, I'd **love** to forget the contract today but it wouldn't end well for anyone." He holds out his arm and the cat obediently climbs down to hop on the bed. "Watch my cat, please."

"Protocol means you call me when you clear the site and and text me as soon as you're done," Jessica says but Matt's already gone with the kitten staring up at the roof access door with perked ears.

"Shit," Claire hisses.

"Don't panic," Jessica says. "This has been coming for a while, it's just bad luck that Castle's involved."

"Don't panic? That's what you have to say right now?" Claire snaps.

Jessica picks up the kitten when it heads toward the stairs. "It's all I can say. Luke's kept his business off Matt's radar this long but Fisk - _well_ , you can't say that name without the Devil hunting you down."

"And we're just supposed to stand back and - "

Jessica holds out the kitten and Claire takes it, skritching its chin. "Wait. We're going to wait."

Claire looks at the cat and then at Jessica.

"Misty and Danny are meeting us at Karen's place in half an hour," Jessica whispers. "Hopefully the bat-eared bastard is out of range and won't hear this but if we leave _now_ , the cat will cry and he'll catch us- he can hear that thing across the city.  So stay calm and wait for the people that aren't stupid enough to sign contracts written by the Devil."

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably should mention that I have only vague context for JJS2 and LCS2 so just consider this all AU with vague continuity with canon.

  
"I can't believe Matt didn't tell anyone he adopted a kid," Danny says, on his back with the kitten gnawing on his fingers. "He's the first parent out of all of us!"

"Jesus," Karen mutters, glancing down at her phone again from her vigil between Claire and Misty.

Of course Danny's phone is the first to go off and he wins the battle with the cat to answer. "Yeah? _Shit_. Um, I'm not there. She's not there, either, we - I know, I'm _sorry_ \- shit. _Really_?"

Claire starts a mental countdown and but Misty's already stalking across the room.

"Shit," Karen whispers. "We fucked up." She pushes her phone so Claire can read the Punisher's text. _*Stay in position, make sure no one hits the streets. Bad Moon Rising.*_

Danny shoves the phone away and turns to Misty with wide eyes. "It was a setup - Luke's got a bounty on his head and whoever he told about tonight ratted him out. They've got names, photos and a lot more area covered since we left our slots on the grid." He looks at Claire. "He says you didn't have permission to take his cat."

_Oh God._

Misty grabs his phone and switches it to speaker. They can all hear Matt's harsh breathing, he must be running. "What's the plan?"

_"The bald bastard should have told us weeks ago - he knew they had a hit out on him, they stole the weapons for firepower to take him out."_

"Where do you want us?" Jessica demands.

" _I wanted you **in position** on the grid. Are Claire and Misty with you? They're on the kill list, Castle's going to get Fog and bring him to Karen's."_

"We're at Karen's," Claire says.

_"And Spot?"_

"Meow!" the kitten answers.

Claire regrets everything. "Matt, where's Luke?"

_"Probably breaking into my apartment right now because no one's there to let him inside. Nobody will look for him at mine and it took a helluva sales pitch to convince him to go. Stay put, someone will call soon. Misty, can you fill in Brett?"_

"On it," Misty says.

Karen frowns and scoops up the kitten. "She's a solid black cat, Matt, you can't name her Spot - "

"Meow!"

 _"Gotta go. That's a lot of C4, Frank, you copy?_ " The line goes dead and Claire grabs Karen's hand. The way they're both shaking, at least nobody can call out which of them is more terrified.

Claire's phone lights up on the table and Colleen's face appears with a short text. * _2nd string activated._ * "Second string?" she asks out loud.

"Foggy's girl is all about 'networking' and has a whole chart," Jessica answers absently.

She actually feels a little better until they get word of the first explosion.

 

* * *

 

Jessica is oddly silent when she finally gets word to take Claire to Matt's place after the last of the 'major incidents' is under police control. "How bad is it?" she asks finally.

"What? Oh, nobody's hurt on our squad and 'civilian' casualties are low, per Castle. Don't know how many gangbangers he counts as 'civilian' though."

Claire swallows her panic and focuses on her. "Then why are you all wound up?"

"Trish is apparently second string. We don't talk anymore and I didn't know Marci had her in the network," Jessica says with a flippant wave that only points out how serious it is to her. "She saved a bunch of people tonight."

"She's - I didn't know she was a vigilante now," Claire says honestly.

"I don't like to talk about it. Matt - he probably doesn't get it because _I don't like to talk about it_ but - I don't have her on my list of people I trust anymore and I don't know how I feel about her being on Matt's."

"Is she going to be here?" Claire asks, shifting the box of Spot on her lap as the taxi slows to a stop outside of Matt's.

"Think so. Matt doesn't do so well with explosions and this is all Luke's fault so we're walking into a minefield," Jessica says blankly.

"You take Matt, I'll deal with the other two. Nobody needs to raise their stress level after the way tonight went down."

Jessica nods. "Deal."

She's relieved as fuck when Luke opens the door looking fully intact - she even lets him give her a five second hug before she shoves him away and scans the apartment.

Jessica ignores her former BFF and goes directly to Matt where he's standing shakily in the center of the room.

"Did you get near the smoke? Go brush your teeth, now," Jessica orders and Matt stumbles slightly on his way to obey. She turns to Trish. "Stay until I fix him, he'll want to talk to you."

"Is he all right? He hasn't said anything since she brought him in," Luke asks, visibly concerned.

"Depends on how close he was to the bombs, his hearing fritzes sometimes - just wait." Jessica glances at Claire and she takes it as a request to follow her into the back.

Matt motions to his ears with his roped hands and Jessica sighs in relief and shoves him.

"What?" Claire demands.

"I hate everything," Matt replies, closing his eyes and bracing himself against the sink. "Can you fix it? I feel like I'm in a bubble."

"They're earpieces that turn into earplugs at a certain decibel, one of Castle's toys," Jessica says. "Never thought he'd convince him to wear them."

"Fucker knocked me down," Matt hisses. "Get them out, I hate it so much. Please."

Claire raises her phone as a flashlight to examine his ears that look to be full of blue clay. She taps it and it shifts into a perfect imitation bluetooth receiver so she can pop it out. Jessica rolls her eyes and taps his other ear.

"Who's the woman that I just brought home?" Matt asks, popping his jaw experimentally as he recovers his full spectrum of senses.

Claire can feel Jessica's relief that Matt doesn't know about the 'network'. "Trish. Apparently she's second string."

"Trish _Walker_? _Why_?" Matt asks. "Where's my cat?"

Spot answers from the other room. "Meow!"

Matt relaxes another notch. "Fine. That's all just fine. I need five minutes and I'll make everyone coffee."

"Give me your hands, Claire's going to triage your guests, right?" Jessica urges, starting on the ropes and Claire remembers her offer.

"Right."

 

* * *

 

Matt walks out of the back with Jessica scowling behind him. He leans down to pick up his cat and everyone stares openly as he cuddles her to his chin. "Thank you, Spot."

"Why is your cat's name Spot?" Luke blurts out.

"Is that what you've been waiting to ask him because I have better questions," Trish snaps.

"Pause," Matt says. "I'm talking to my cat right now. She says someone gave her pizza."

"Fuck off, Matt," Jessica groans. "What the hell happened out there and what the hell is she doing here?"

Trish flushes but covers it with a flip of hair. "I can answer the second part - got a tip on a bomb threat at Harlem's Paradise. I'm on the VIP list so I got in and waited for instructions. Left eight guys tied up in the party bus and evacuated the area."

"Who gave you the tip?" Luke asks.

Trish shrugs. "Snapchat. Guy goes by Micro - "

"That's Castle's guy, he must be on Marci's chart," Jessica mutters.

"He sent me to pick you up, said you'd get lost," Trish adds. "And I wanted to make sure - I wanted to see why Jess wasn't watching your back. What the hell is going on, guys? They blew up half of Harlem tonight."

"Not half, maybe a quarter," Matt hums. "And the club was the only building we lost that had people inside - and it seems Ms. Walker got them out." He defers to Jessica with a slight nod and heads to the kitchen with his cat scarf.

Claire knows the two are close but tonight has put a whole new spin on their friendship. Strangers would think they were siblings with their similar coloring and 'fuck off' demeanors.

Jessica inhales deeply. "Thank you, Trish, for your help," she grinds out.

"Any time?" Trish hesitates. "I'm glad you're all right."

"Things are _not_ cool between us. I don't know if I'll ever forgive you," Jessica states. "But you came through for my friends tonight without killing anyone so...apology noted and filed."

"Okay," Trish whispers.

"She can stay for coffee if she wants," Jessica sighs.

"What happens now?" Claire asks Luke but he's watching Matt manipulate the espresso machine.

"Feds are involved," Matt says, shrugging. "Part of the deal with accepting help from Castle since he's in bed with Homeland Security."

"Oh wow," Trish whistles when Luke sags at the final bomb dropping.

"He wasn't following anything in Harlem," Matt continues. "He keeps track of illegal weapons and unsanctioned military shit - he doesn't like surprises and tonight was a fucking surprise. But if Castle fires a shot in New York State - the Feds fucking know it."

"God, it's - " Luke shudders.

Matt clears his throat. "I'm not privy to the details of your case since you're not my client but you weren't present for any of the shit that went down tonight so your hands are clean for that. Foggy wouldn't represent you if there was anything you couldn't beat in court. Your business partners and liaisons are a different story." He starts pulling out mugs. "I don't know what kind of heat you're going to get from the Feds, or even what kind of Feds are going to turn up but - you should probably call your lawyer in the morning."

Luke glances at Jessica and then at Claire with a shocked expression. "Just like that?"

"It's not a get out of jail free card, it's a fucking chance for you to pull your head out of your ass," Claire snaps.

"I know, nobody understands our love," Matt murmurs to the kitten licking his cheek.

"Do you and Spot need a moment?" Claire asks.

"Come get your coffee, it'll take a few minutes to clean before I can start the next set," Matt answers.

 

* * *

 

Luke and Misty are deep in conversation with Foggy with towers of paperwork between them when Claire gives Matt and Spot their turn in the bathroom.

She's still mentally exhausted but she's ready to deal with the aftermath. Luke had taken the couch last night and splitting the bed with Matt made sense with their current platonic standoff.

"He still doesn't get it," Misty tells Claire when she frowns at Luke's glare of judgment.

"Get what?" Foggy asks.

"The Swag," Misty says and Claire braces herself for what's coming.

True to form, Matt appears and smoothly slings his arm around Misty and Claire, kissing their cheeks one at a time with a pompous grin as he leans back. "Good morning."

Luke's eyes widen comically and she knows he's struggling to control his rage.

"Are you faking promiscuity for cover stories again?" Foggy sighs, tired.

"Of course not, that would be counterintuitive," Matt replies. "I am in a committed relationship right now."

" _Meow_!"

"There she is," he grins, returning to the other room.

"Wait, it's a joke?" Luke realizes.

"He's got great reviews for a white boy, but get over yourself, Luke," Misty snorts.

"And you've got much bigger problems than Matt's sex life - and that's saying a lot because he's got a ton of problems," Foggy says seriously. "So can we focus here?"

 

* * *

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

Claire has lunch, a power nap and accepts three days off for 'mandatory trauma leave' before she heads back to Matt's.

Whatever she had with Matt before wouldn't have counted as 'friendship' in the normal definition but everything's different now. Matt's changed. She's changed.

He's still a mess but he's trying and she's going to make sure they count as friends this time. At least friends. At the very least.

He opens the door before she knocks but doesn't lower his phone, waving her inside.

"I know my friends broke all the protocols last night but you almost took me out of the game with those earplugs - it's off the table. You don't understand - I know what you were trying to do but - no. No. Never."

Spot meows a greeting from her perch on top of a large dufflebag she recognizes from Luke's closet. Leaving town is probably the best option for him no matter what he decides to do with his new 'career'.

"I'm not going into this right now, I have guests - Spot's not a guest - fuck you, too, Frank," Matt says and puts the phone down. "Sorry. How are you, Claire?"

"I saw you a few hours ago," she smiles.

"Yet you're back, so something's probably wrong," Matt smiles back but sobers quickly. "Luke's staying here a while."

_Oh_. "I figured the bags meant - "

"It's not ideal, but he asked."

"And you just said okay?" She doesn't know if she's upset because Luke didn't ask her or because he's complicating Matt's life instead.

"He's Foggy's client and he's your friend - Danny's friend, hell, everybody seems to love the guy - and I know a little about burning my own life down trying to do the right thing." Matt sighs. "He _asked_."

Claire realizes how much that request would have cost Luke's ego. "You're okay with that?"

"Sure." He curls his fingers and Spot mews and scrambles across the room to claw at his knee for attention.

"Okay, what did you do to that cat? There's no way she's this trained already," Claire says, accepting the subject change for what it is.

"I don't think cats can be trained," Matt smiles. "Spot and I have an understanding, though."

"You don't seem as conflicted about getting a pet," she adds.

"I'm just glad she likes me. Doesn't tell me what to do or ask me to take her outside. I - she helps me sleep," he adds, fond and slightly awed as the kitten purrs under his careful affection. "This whole 'network' thing is messing with my head. I haven't had a chance to process that people I don't know are waiting for instructions."

She hoped she'd imagined that vibe. "You gave Jess orders last night before you went out, seemed like you knew something."

"Friends," Matt says. "Jessica and Danny, and Frank, sometimes, count as friends. If I'm going on patrol or after a specific mark, yeah, I let them know in case I need help - they do the same for me. The whole grid is a concept - not an actual map."

"I've seen the map, Matt, it's on Foggy's wall," Claire calls him out.

Matt flinches and Spot glares at her until he resumes petting her. "You're telling me Foggy has a map on his wall."

"With little colored flags and everything," she confirms.

"That's too far. That's - not okay," Matt whispers. He moves, Spot following him down the counter until he opens a drawer and tosses a scrap of cloth to her.

She recognizes the fabric, the mask, immediately.

"I have no idea what that is, but you're the second person I've shown it to that had a reaction to it," Matt says.

"It's Spider-man's mask," Claire says.

" _Fuck my life_." Spot climbs his arm to curl around his neck. "I'm going to kill Marci."

"I just RSVP'd that wedding, so let me know before I buy a dress."

Matt taps his phone and orders it to dial Foggy. "Contract's invalid depending on how you answer this question - is there a map on your wall?"

" _Um_."

"Right. Marci's on the Devil's no-call list now. The fuck, Foggy," Matt snaps, ending the call.

Claire catches his hand before he can throw for extra drama. "Was that necessary?"

"I can keep being Daredevil is if my identity remains intact, it's in the prime directive of their fucking contract. They broke it first so I can call the whole thing off - I can't be responsible for a goddamn network, I just got a cat," Matt blurts out.

Spot licks his ear.

She understands why he's upset but she's not sure he should throw out the whole contract because of a misstep. God, is she in the cult now? She shakes off her thoughts and focuses. "Hey."

"I don't need training wheels, not now. They're putting my friends at risk - Castle's link with the Feds isn't common knowledge and it should be for anyone that gets involved with him - and Jessica shouldn't have to work with someone she doesn't trust. How can I offer Luke protection if I've got an Avenger who knows my home address?" He shoves the mask back in the drawer.

"So take control of it," she says. "Backup worked out last night, sure, but it was your op so it should have been your call."

Matt sighs. "It was Frank's op, if you want to get into it. I was following his lead on raiding the warehouse after giving Luke a chance to look at the video. Now he's talking like we're teammates when he took my eyes last night with those earplugs."

"Take control of it, Matt. The Devil's not calling the shots anymore, but that doesn't mean anyone else is going to do any better," Claire says. "Don't throw out the parts that work - I've gotten used to regular manicures, but you know what works and what doesn't."

He goes still for a long moment and then shakes his head. "No, the contract has to go."

She used to be better at this. Matt lowers the cat to the floor and splays both hands on the counter. "Okay. Taking control."

 

* * *

 

"You're overreacting," Marci says and Claire and Foggy both wince. Luke chuckles silently from the kitchen and Spot swats at him. "I know you said no to networking, but nowhere did you say we weren't allowed to network."

"If I'm calling for backup, then I need to know who they are - I didn't even know Trish Walker had superpowers," Matt frowns.

"She goes by Hellcat and she's not an official 'super' yet because she doesn't have enough saves on her CV," Marci replies.

"Jesus," Claire sighs.

"Let's just - " Foggy starts but his fiancee cuts him off with a furious glare.

"No - I'm not taking the fall for this, Foggy. It's a good plan and Murdock's not involved in any of it. There are levels and city-wide catastrophe is an all-hands-on-deck. Nobody on the call-list knew who caused the emergency and there was no requirement for them to get involved."

"Frank's tied up with the Feds now, did you know that? And with the Accords still in place - " Matt slings the Spider-man mask onto the coffeetable. "Nobody needs this in the mix, too."

Foggy's eyes bulge in shock but Marci snatches the fabric quickly. "Spider-man's not in my network, he's all yours."

"I don't know Spider-man - "

Marci flips her hair. "Maybe. But someone in his Fam knows you - from the Perilous Parade and his identity is a lot more delicate than yours."

"That's evidence you need to share," Foggy gasps.

"Not until we're married and you can't testify against me, babe," Marci smirks. "But he's not in the network - and Castle wouldn't be in the network if I'd known he had government connections. That's my bad - I only put him on the list because of Karen."

"Let's all take a breath," Claire interrupts when Matt's nostrils flare in silent rage and Foggy shoves his hands in his pockets.

Luke brings Spot in from the kitchen and deposits the kitten on Matt's shoulders. Matt relaxes immediately as he coos at his pet and cuddles her against his chest.

"Matt, it's not connected to you - it's not your network alone, all right? Yeah, you inspired it and you're on the list for a text if someone hits their button - but you're not calling the shots," Marci sighs. "Hellcat's on the list because she's completely solo and if something happens to her because she didn't have an emergency contact - it would gut Jessica. Same with Colleen - do you think she's going to call Iron Fist if she gets over her head? She's too stubborn for that."

Marci stalks over to the couch to stand in front of him. Spot hisses at the distraction. "The network doesn't calculate who's talking to who, exes or frenemy status - it only cares about getting everybody out alive."

"So what message did you send out last night?" Claire asks.

"Castle's guy pressed the button," Marci shrugs. "Sent it to the ' _mobile and in the city_ ' list so anyone with a car and in-town got an alert to check Snapchat - not to seek you out or anything, just to help with civilians and collateral damage."

"That's still a fucking lot, Marci," Matt sighs.

"He's right, if any of them got caught up in my shit - " Luke starts.

"It was voluntary, they didn't have to and could have backed out at any time - you need backup now more than ever, Mr. Cage, and you're also on my shit list for putting Foggy in danger - that's Matt's job."

"Ouch," Matt whispers as Luke shrinks in the full weight of Marci's glare.

Foggy slumps down across from them. "I'm sorry, Matt, I didn't know she had gone so far - but it's not completely flawed - right?"

Matt takes Marci's hands and bows his head. "I'm barely holding my shit together right now, do you understand? Like, in general - not just this moment - I am three check boxes away from being assigned a social worker for mandatory welfare checks.  Your network saved lives last night, I'm not saying it's a total no-go - but it's too much - "

Claire forgives Marci for a lot when she pulls Matt into a hug instead of making him go on and she pats his back in silent apology.

"Jess, Danny and Frank are the only people I trust to work with right now. Not because of their skills or morality levels - but because they know my current limitations," Matt says, pushing her away after a few moments. "We gotta roll the contract back - "

"No - it's working!" Foggy protests.

"Not now - I think I've proven myself stable enough to get by without needing direct guidelines. I'm sticking with the therapy, I've got Spot and now, Luke, staying here and I'll see you at work every day," Matt says. "But we all need to take a step back. Plan your wedding, find us some better paying cases - and let me handle the vigilante stuff on my own for a while, okay?"

"That seems reasonable," Claire says before Foggy can protest again. "You guys managed to be friends a long time without needing it spelled out - it might let off some of the unintentional pressure. Make it less of a cult."

"I'm sorry," Marci says. "I thought I was helping."

"It's a good idea, just - keep it off my radar until I'm back on my feet, please?" Matt sighs.

"We'll have a very long discussion about it at home. I'm not sleeping on the couch tonight but I'll make sure you get the good blanket," Foggy tells Marci.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote myself into a box, give me another chapter to claw my way out of it. ♥ everyone for sticking this out, I love this 'verse so very much.


	5. Chapter 5

  
"Seems like they're a little busy today," Matt says as he leads Claire into the church.

"I thought we were picking up Luke," she replies. Not that she has a problem with church but it's not a Sunday and she feels very underdressed.

He tilts his head, listening. "He's here, he's still talking to Sister Maggie downstairs."

"Your nun friend?"

Matt nods. "Yeah. She's a good listener. Warn me if you see the priest heading our way, it's a long story."

She snorts. "You don't like the new guy, I'm up to speed."

"It's not that I _dis_ like him - shit, so glad the contract's done so my business can be my business again," Matt huffs but slips a polite smile on his face as a young nun approaches. "Sister Anne?"

"Hello, Mr. Murdock, and guest, by chance do you have a moment?" she asks. "We could use a hand."

"Sure, if you can let Sister Maggie know I'm here in return," he replies and leads Claire further into the church through the back halls to a large nursery. A nun immediately places a squalling child in his arms and Claire doesn't get a chance to intervene before the baby goes calm.

"What's going on?" Claire asks Sister Anne. "I'm a nurse, can I help?"

"Outbreak of hand-foot and mouth, all the babies are miserable," the nun says. "We're grateful it hasn't spread outside of the nursery to the toddlers, but it's a trial."

"Am I going to get a rash?" Matt asks, rocking the baby gently against his shoulder. "Is this Thomas?"

"Her name's Darla, little Thomas got adopted," Sister Anne replies as Claire helps her disinfect and replace the crib's sheets.

"I'm awful with babies, can't tell them apart for the life of me," Matt murmurs. She shares an amused look with the nun and they make quick work of cleaning the rest of the cribs.

Claire tries to ignore the flutter of warmth in her chest from the sight of Matt comforting the tiny infants the Sisters pass to him without hesitation. This isn't the place to have *feelings*.

"The other sister always snag him to help the big kids first but he's a baby-whisperer. Do you have any children?" Sister Anne asks.

"Hush, you know Sister Maggie gets first shot at questioning Matthew's girlfriends, you'll scare her away," another nun hisses.

She sighs when she catches Matt's smirk and the nuns giggle like the children they're in charge of. "Claire, I'll show you where you can wash your hands. Good luck with the rashes!" he adds over his shoulder as he steers her out of the crowding room.

Claire laughs and doesn't regret the accidental detour with the new image of Matt as a baby-whisperer. She washes her hands and runs into a very nervous looking priest having an apparent crisis of faith at the sight of Matt in the hallway.

Matt recovers first and holds his hand out for her to join him. "Claire, this is Father Harris. We were just going to meet with Sister Maggie."

"Don't let me keep you, but - since you're here, I must ask - "

"I'm not avoiding you," Matt says entirely too fast.

She can't smile at his blatant lie when he's visibly unsettled. But he surprises her - again.

"Sorry. I probably do owe you some sort of explanation," he admits, shifting his weight. "Father Lantom - he was my guide for most of my life, even before my father died - he was our priest. He stood by me when I lost my faith and he's the reason I always found my way back - but my last words to him were - not kind. I have a lot of - unresolved feelings that have absolutely nothing to do with you or your new job."

The priest's face flashes with shock but he recovers with a small grin. "So it's not because I'm black?"

"I wasn't aware, is that an issue?" Matt blinks, off balance and Claire takes his arm, glancing at the priest to assure he wasn't shocking him out of meanness.

"I hoped not," Father Harris replies, winking at Claire. "But for a blind man, you always manage to avoid my post-Mass handshake and as one of the church's most-visible members, it was giving me a little bit of a complex."

"Oh. That wasn't - "

The priest ignores him and catches his hand for a firm shake. "It's nice to finally meet you in person, Mr. Murdock. I'll continue to ignore you lurking in our corners as long as you need - Sister Maggie is terrifying and I need to win her over before I get sent back to Chicago," he adds.

"She's been telling me to talk to you for weeks, she's already on your side," Matt sighs.

"It's nice to meet you, Father Harris. He will definitely shake your hand after your next sermon," Claire says.

A diminutive nun clears her throat from the end of the hall. " _Matthew_. Are you interfering with the Lord's work?"

"Always, Sister Maggie," Matt replies.

She's impressed at the way both men seem to defer to the short woman immediately. She likes her already.

"You must be Claire, it's nice to meet you," she says, sizing her up with sharp eyes before addressing Matt again. "Luke would like to see you privately if Claire doesn't mind waiting."

Matt frowns and waits for her to squeeze his elbow in permission before disappearing into the church.

"Father Harris, can I help you?"

"I was just passing through and thanking Matthew and his friend for their help today. The nursery is a madhouse," the priest replies. "We - came to an understanding, I believe."

"About time," Sister Maggie says, and Father Harris nods his goodbyes and vanishes. She figures this is her interrogation.

"So you've been talking to Luke?" Claire asks when she can't take the silence anymore.

"He didn't want you to see him cry," Sister Maggie replies. "Blubbering mess, I was embarrassed _for_ him. Would you like some coffee?"

"Oh. Sure." Why the hell not.

 

* * *

 

"Did he really make nice with Father Harris?" Maggie asks after they've exhausted small talk.

"Out loud with words and everything. He's got a silver tongue in the courtroom, but normal social interaction is an achievement," Claire smiles. "Now he's worried everyone thinks he's a racist, though, so - head's up."

"Nonsense. Matthew's grief is not hidden behind his glasses or bruises, but he should find peace here regardless of who's who's performing the service."

"He seems to trust you," Claire points out. "That's something, a lot for Matt."

Sister Maggie looks away. "I'll never bring him peace."

She waits a beat but the nun doesn't continue. "I've known him a long time and I promise - he wouldn't seek you out if he didn't trust your guidance. He doesn't seek anyone out."

"I didn't know him, when they brought him here in half dead in that ridiculous suit," she says suddenly. "Father Lantom had to tell me. _Jack Murdock's boy_. Not - "

 _Ouch_.

"I don't know if I'm the best person to offer him guidance."

Claire leans forward to make eye contact. "He's not coming to visit his mother. He's coming to visit someone that knows the good and the rotten parts of him and still thinks he's a pretty good guy."

Maggie raises an eyebrow. "Do _you_ think he's a pretty good guy?"

"I'm not falling in your trap, you act like I don't avoid relationship questions on a regular basis from my fam," Claire wards off the question with a wink.

"Fair enough," she concedes. "But someone's gotten under his skin and I have a lot of questions for _her_."

Oh dear. "Have you met his new houseguest?"

"Luke?"

Claire laughs and takes her phone to show off some of the pictures she's managed to catch. "Her name's Spot."

Sister Maggie smiles brightly. "Of course it is." The door opens and Matt frowns as he leads Luke inside the small office.

"Are you conspiring?" Matt asks.

Luke sees the image on her phone and laughs, pulling out his own to show more pictures. "She's showing Sister Maggie your new best friend."

"Spot," Sister Maggie says. "Did your name her after your father's dog?"

Claire and Luke share a panicked look but Matt only smiles, soft. "Did he really have a dog? He used to tell me stories, but none of our apartments allowed pets."

"Little runt of a dog, pounced on anything he could reach but adored Jack," Sister Maggie replies. "Only way you could make it happy was to rub this one spot behind his ear."

Claire laughs. "I can't believe you gave your cat a family name."

"She's a very good cat, but I can't promise she won't pounce on you," Matt shrugs.

Luke hugs the small woman and murmurs his thanks to her for whatever guts he's been spilling to her all afternoon.

"You didn't tell me this was a meet-the-parents situation," Claire teases.

" _She's_ the one that keeps telling people," he replies. "She riled Luke up so much he tried to give me a hug, and I've already surpassed my daily limit for emotional stress when I talked to the priest."  


* * *

 

"I'm heading out to meet Misty. I need to start trying to fix what I broke," Luke says, putting away the dishes according to Matt's kitchen protocol. Claire's the only person that's not surprised that Luke can be OCD enough to keep up with Matt's process.

"Colleen, too, right?" Matt asks without turning his attention away from Spot and her battle with the ball of yarn on the floor.

"I'm nodding. She's driving and - Jess might be around - but I'm not supposed to know that," Luke says.

God, he's been spending way too much time with Matt. She wishes she's been spending that much time with Matt.

She has to stop thinking like that.

" _So_ , I'll be back late but I'll call first."

"I thought he gave you a key," Claire says.

"I'll still call first," Luke mutters, hurrying out of the apartment.

Matt doesn't tilt his body toward her, still 'watching' Spot. "He thinks you're interested in me, tried to give me his blessing and everything."

"Oh?" _Fuck_ Luke Cage.

"I've been trying to get you alone for days to see if there was any truth to it - "

"We're alone now," Claire points out, sliding off the stool until a firm knock on the door shatters the moment.

"I'm meeting a client," Matt says, slumping against the couch. Spot abandons the yarn to jump in his lap. "And then, maybe since I'm not hampered by a contract requiring a six month waiting period, I'll see if you're up for a date."

"Wait.  Did you seriously cancel the friend contract so you could get laid?" Claire asks.

"Of course not, we can start with dating," Matt says as he hurries past her to answer the door.

Claire doesn't recognize the woman or her sullen teenager but she's not going anywhere until they finish their discussion.

"Mr. Murdock, thank you for meeting me. This is my nephew, Peter."

Matt leads them inside and the kid looks around curiously. "Of course, Ms. Parker, is there a problem with the old case?"

"No, no, this is completely unrelated," she says. "Please, call me May."

"Okay. This is my friend, Claire, we have plans later," Matt says, joining her by the bar. "Can I get you anything?"

Claire sizes up the pair and catches sight of Peter's hair flutter as if by static shock an instant before Spot pounces on his shoelaces and makes his aunt shriek in shock. Peter isn't surprised, though, and cuddles the kitten without a flinch. " _Seriously_? How old are you?" Matt tilts his head toward her, questioning. "The kitchen drawer."

"Oh. Spider-man?" Matt asks, confused.

May swats her nephew on the back of his head. "Tell him, Peter."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Daredevil," the kid blurts out. "I didn't know who you were when I left the mask on your roof, I mean, I didn't know you were blind or I would have found another way. But I took pictures of you at that parade thing a few months back, for the newspaper - but I didn't use them - because Aunt May said - "

"Why does a blind man go to a parade anyway?" Claire asks before Peter (or Matt) starts to hyperventilate.

"Lost a bet," Matt sighs. "Ms. Parker - "

"May," she corrects as Peter buries his face in Spot's fur as she paws at his hair.

Matt nods. "May. My partner, Foggy, is much more experienced in vigilante cases but - "

"She wants you to teach me how not to get arrested first," Peter chimes in.

May hushes him. "Mr. Stark's been very - helpful - " she edits herself. "But he's never going to understand the kind of stakes involved for - "

"A single-mom budget and public education," Claire finishes for her. "Where's your day planner, Matt?"

Matt turns and gets the Spider-man mask and his tablet from behind him. "Do you get regular manicures, May?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ♥ this 'verse. Thanks for taking the ride with me! ♥ ♥ ♥


End file.
